Enlarge ImageRequest to buy this photoNEAL C. LAURON | DispatchOlentangy Liberty forward Jared Robinson, left, is congratulated by midfielder Donny Deep after scoring in the first half at Crew Stadium.

The Olentangy Liberty boys soccer team depended on its wings last night, using the wide field at
Crew Stadium to its advantage to win its first Division I championship.

Liberty overcame Sylvania Southview’s defensive-minded approach and won 2-0, a year after it
lost 4-2 to Cleveland St. Ignatius on the same stage.

“We felt like the wings would be where we’d have success,” Liberty coach Rick Collins said. “
With the width of this field, it’s so difficult to try to pack things in because we could open it
up. That’s where our play really developed.”

The Patriots (22-1) benefited from an own goal in the eighth minute and outshot Southview 16-5
to cap the season the way Liberty’s players and coaches drew it up in August.

“Last year was such a big milestone, then to get here was gravy,” Collins said. “This year, our
focus was winning state. We probably would have been disappointed if we hadn’t. We had the talent,
and we felt we were the best team every game we stepped on the field.”

Liberty forward Jared Robinson initially was credited with the game’s first goal. He lined a
header off the post and Southview (17-4-2) tried to clear the ball, but it appeared to bounce off
the stomach of the Cougars’ Samer Sarsour, then hit Sarsour’s foot and dribbled in.

“Even though we got a little help, still, we got a goal,” said Robinson, an Evansville recruit
who also scored in a 1-0 victory over Mason in a regional semifinal. “It was pretty crazy. They set
me up well.”

Liberty scored again late in the first half. Midfielder Donny Deep, tied up by Southview’s Chris
Ellis off a corner kick, wrangled free and got the ball to forward Anthony Denoi, whose crossing
pass to Robinson was lined to the left of Cougars goalkeeper Eric Breeden for a 2-0 lead.

“We definitely were on top of them the whole first half and we dictated the pace of the game,”
Robinson said.

Southview appeared to break the shutout with 9:43 left when Ellis scored off his own rebound,
but that was waved off because Jared Yoshino ran into Liberty goalkeeper Anderson deAndrade, a
reflection of the Cougars’ game plan.

“I got undercut four or five times,” said deAndrade, who made three saves. “It just shows our
determination, I guess.”

“It doesn’t feel real. It feels like a dream,” deAndrade said, staring at the Crew Stadium
scoreboard minutes after the game. “To be honest, I was skeptical at the beginning of the season.
But once we started getting the gears running … it’s 2-0 in the state final. We completely
dominated. It’s an incredible feeling.”